Stamps



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

V. I. H. BUNDSEN.

APPARATUSIOR A-PFI'XING STAMPS.

No. 322,578. Patented July 21, 1885.

l- Fig-LE1- .WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

I z m I a M m By herdttarneys,

N. PEIERS, Phololilhngmplmr. Washington, D C.

3 Sheets-Shet 2.

(No Model.)

v. 1. H. BUNDSEN." APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING STAMPS.

No. 322,578. Patented July 21, 1885.

F194. Fig-.5-

IIDIDDI Jam. 9' INVENTOR:

WITNESSES:

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UNITED STATES VICTORIA I. BUNDSEN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

APPARATUS FOR AFFIXING STAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 322,578, dated July 21, 1885.

Applicationfiledbecember 12, 1884. (No model.) Patented inEngland April 19, 1884, No. 6,568; in France November 28, 1884, No. 165,644, and in Germany December 3, 1884, No. 31,587.

To aZZ whom it may concern Be it known that I, VIo'roRIA ISABELLA HELIonoRA BUNDsEN, of London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Holding and Affixing Postage-Stamps or other like Stamps or La bels, (which invention I have provisionally patented in Great Britain on the 19th day of April, 1884, No. 6,568,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to construct an apparatus which will hold a number of separate stamps or labels, and which, by a single action of the apparatus, will moisten the envelope and affix a stamp thereto.

My apparatus is composed, essentially, of a box or receptacle for the stamps, and of abox or pad or sponge for holding water or other liquid, these two devices being held in asuitable frame, the stamp-box being above the water-receptacle. The stamp-box is open at the bottom, but has lips or springs to prevent the stamps falling out, and there is a piston or plunger within the box, and an actuatinghandle above.

Figures 1, 2, and 3 represent an apparatus constructed according to my invention, Fig. 1 being a side view, and Fig. 2 a front view, showing the parts in their normal positions, while Fig. '3 is a transverse section showing the parts in' the positions they occupy when the actuating-handle is pushed down. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 illustrate modifications which will be fully described hereinafter.

Referring to the first three figures, a is the receptacle for the stamps. It is open at bottom, but has lips or flanges to prevent the stamps'falling out. It is carried byarms b b, the ends of which pass through slots 0 in the sides of the fixed frame (1, and are attached to legs 6 0. These legs form part of a bracket, f, which is in a piece with a sleeve, 9. This sleeve is surrounded by a handle, h, and a spring, 73, is placed between the top of the sleeve and the top of the inside of the handle.

To the top of the frame d is fixed a tube, j,

.whose upper end enters the sleeve and between the top of this tube and a boss, k, is a spring, Z. This boss is on a rod, m, which passes down through the tube and into the collars atD D.

stamp-box a, in which it carries a piston or plunger, n. Within the box at, below the plunger, is a piece, 0, of india-rubber or other suitable yielding material.

19, Fig. 8, representsa number of superposed stamps in the box.

q is the water-receptacle, which in the apparatus shown is in the form of a cylindrical vessel with an aperture for filling it, this ap erture being fitted with a screw-plug, 1'. The lower part of the vessel q is formed with small perforations r (seen in Fig. 3) to allow the water to exude. and the vessel is covered with felt or other like absorbent material, 8. The vessel q is pivoted in the ends of small levers H, which are centered at a, and have springs 11 attached to their other ends. There is another spring, 10, connecting a pin, 01;, on the vessel q with a pin, 3 This spring to tends to keep the vessel q in its normal positionthat is to say, with the head of the plug 0 against Y the stop 2. The levers t t, which carry the vessel q, are attached to side frames, A A, which are pivoted at B B to the fixed frame (1. These side frames, A A, have slots 0 0, through which the arms b b of the box a pass, and in which the arms move when the apparatus is operated. In order to ease the movement the arms have. anti-friction rollers or It will be observed'in Fig. 1 that in the normal position the vessel q is at one side of the central vertical line of the apparatus. 7

Having described the various parts of the apparatus, 1 will now explain its action.

' The box a being supplied with stamps superposed with their gummed faces downward, and the vessel q, being supplied with water, all that is necessary for thepurpose of m'oistening the corner of the envelope and affixing astamp thereto is to place the apparatus upon the envelope and then force down the handle it into the position seen in Fig. 3., Afterholding the. handle down for an instant it should be suddenly released,when the various springs return the parts to their normal position, and a stamp will be left adhering to the envelope.

In the r first part of the downward movement of the handle the arms b b, (which with the box a,

legs e e, bracket f, and sleeve 9 descend with the handle,) by moving in the upper parts ofthe slots 0, cause the side frames, A A,with the water-vessel q to turn on the pivots or centers at B B into the position seen in Fig. 3. In this movement the vessel q is brought into forcible contact with the envelope, and is caused to turn on its axis. It travels over and moistens a sufficient amount of the surface of the envelope, the levers t t and springs 12 affording it the necessary amount of elasticity,and after doing so it has got out of the way of the stamp-box a. (See Fig. 3.) In the second part of the downward movement of the handle the arms I) b move in the lower parts of the slots 0 O, and the bottom face of the stampbox comes in contact with the envelope, and then the stamp-box not being able to move further, the pistonn descends ashort distance in the box, and insures that the lowest stamp shall be brought into contact with the paper. On removing the pressure from the handle the spring l returns the piston 11, the spring 9; returns the handle with the box (1, legs 6 e, bracket f, and sleeve 9, and the arms b bin heir upward movement return the side frames, A A,with the vessel q.

Fig. 4 represents in front view and Fig. 5 in transverse section a modified and simplified form of my apparatus, but which, although cheaper to manufacture, I do not consider so good as the form of apparatus shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. The water receptacle consi'sts of.a pad, q, carried by a rod, which is pivoted at its ends in the fixed frame d. On the rod q is an arm, g, which is connected by a link, Q3, to a lever, A, pivoted at B to the frame d. As the handleh descends one of the arms I) b on the stampbox in passing down the slot 0 pushes the lever to one side, and this movement of the lever, through the intermediation of the link q and arm (1", causes the rod q to turn on its axis, so that the pad q is turned out of the way of the box a, and the latter is free to pass it in the latter portion of the downward movement. q is a projection on the frame (Z, against which an arm, 1 on the rod (1 comes, so as to act as a stop to this rod in its return movement. The lever A is returned to its normal position by a spring, q, and the rod q with a pad by a spring, QT.

Fig. 6 and 7 represent another form of my apparatus, differing slightly from that shown in Figs. 4 and 5. The pad q is carried-on the lower ends of levers A A, which are pivoted at'B B. The upper ends of these levers are connected together by a rod, A. A piece,A projecting from this rod is connected by a rod or link, A to a similar piece, A on the side of the stamp-box a. As the box a is pushed down by the handle h the link or rod A causes the rod A to turn on its axis, together with the levers A, so that the pad q is turned out of the way of the stamp-box. In Fig. 6 I show, at E, a slot in the side of the box a throughwhich the stamps may be inserted.

The stamp-box in the other forms of apparatus may also be made with this slot; but I find that the stamps can be pushed into the box at the bottom without difficulty.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. An apparatus for holding and affixing stamps and labels, comprising a stamp-box constructed to move up and down in a frame, and provided with an operating-handle, a water-receptaele arranged below the stamp-box normally and designed to moisten thesurface which is to receive the stamp, and the mechanism, substantially as described, whereby the descent of the stamp-box is made to actuate the water-receptacle and cause it to first moisten the surface and then move out of the way of the stamp-box, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In an apparatus for holding and affixing stamps and labels, the combination of the stamp box open at the bottom and constructed to move up and down in a frame and provided with an operatinghandle, the slotted pivoted side frames, A A, the slots in which are engaged by the arms I) b on the stampbox, said arms I) b and the water-receptacle mounted on the pivoted side frames, substantially as described, whereby the vertical movement of the stamp-box imparts a swinging movement to the water-receptacle, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. The combination, with the inclosed water-receptacle q, having perforations at the lower part and being covered with absorbent material, and having a charging-hole filled with a stopper, of the spring 20, for returning said receptacle to its normal position after action, andthe stop z, substantially as set forth and shown.

4. In an apparatus for affixing stamps and labels, the combination with the inclosed water receptacle q, constructed and covered as described, and the pivoted side frames provided with a stop, z, of the levers t t, in which said receptacle is mounted, the springs'v v, to

.keep the receptacle properly pressed down,

and the spring 10, to hold the receptacle up to the stop, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination, in a label holder and 'affixer, of the following devices, namely: the

stamp-box a, open at bottom, arms I) b, fixed frame 61, slots 0 0, legs 6 e, bracket f, sleeve 9, handle h, spring 73, water-receptacle q, and slotted pivoted side frames, A A, carrying said receptacle, substantially as set forth and shown.

6. The combination, in a label holder and affixer, of the following devices, namely: the

-stamp-box a, open at bottom, arms 6 b, fixed frame d, slots 0 0, legs e e, bracket f, sleeve 9, handle h, spring z, tube j, boss 70, spring Z, rod m, piston n, water-receptacle q, and slotted pivoted side frames, A A, carrying said recep tacle, substantially as set forth and shown.

7. The combination, in a label holder and IIO affixer, of the following devices, namely: the In witness whereof I have hereunto signed stamp-box a open at bottom, arms I) b, fixed my name in the presence of two subscribing IO frame d, slots 0 0, legs 6 e, bracket f, sleeve 9, witnesses. handle h, spring 6, tube 9, boss k, spring Z, rod

5 m, piston n, water-receptacle q, levers t t, VICTORIA BUNDSEN' springs 12 1;, spring w, stop z, and slotted piv- Witnesses: oted side frames, A A, substantially as set JOHN G. MEWBURN, forth and shown. GEORGE O. BACON. 

